The buzz surrounding director Aditya Dhar's upcoming action thriller, Dhurandhar, has been immense, especially regarding the real-life inspirations for its star-studded cast. Initially, speculation was rife that Ranveer Singh's character was based on the late Major Mohit Sharma AC SM, a decorated Indian Army officer known for his anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir.
From Legal Hurdles to Plot Revelations
This assumption led to a legal challenge from Major Sharma's parents, who approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the film's release. Following the court's directive, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reviewed the film and gave it a clean chit, stating no similarities existed between the cinematic narrative and the soldier's life. While the family accepted the decision, Major Sharma's elder brother, Madhur Sharma, expressed a wish that the filmmakers had arranged a private screening for the parents to dispel social media rumours.
With director Aditya Dhar himself clarifying that Ranveer's role is not based on Major Sharma, the central question remained: what is Dhurandhar actually about? Clues from the trailer and extensive online discourse point towards one of Pakistan's most significant covert operations.
The Heart of the Story: Operation Lyari and Karachi's Underworld
The film's narrative appears to draw heavily from Operation Lyari, a massive government crackdown in the neglected Lyari suburb of Karachi. Historically a hub for drug trafficking since the 1960s, Lyari was controlled by powerful gangs. Akshaye Khanna is reportedly portraying the infamous Rehman Dakait, often called 'Lyari's Robin Hood'. His father, Dadal Baloch, ran one of the area's earliest drug gangs.
Rehman's brutal rivalry with Arshad Pappu, son of gang lord Haji Lalu, plunged Lyari into violent gang wars for years. A scene in the trailer where Khanna attacks a man in public is believed to mirror a real incident where Rehman killed someone close to Arshad in broad daylight. Rehman was eventually arrested in 2005 by a notorious police officer and was killed in an encounter in 2009.
Who Plays Who: The Cast of Real-Life Characters
Sanjay Dutt steps into the shoes of that very officer, Chaudhary Aslam Khan, Pakistan's feared 'encounter specialist'. Tasked with leading the Lyari Task Force to cleanse the area of criminals, Khan was known for his aggressive, extrajudicial methods. He survived a suicide bomb attack on his home before being assassinated in a 2014 ambush on the Karachi motorway.
In a chilling portrayal, Arjun Rampal embodies one of the world's most dangerous terrorists, Ilyas Kashmiri. Considered a potential successor to Osama bin Laden, Kashmiri was a brutal Al-Qaeda commander linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2010 Pune bombing, and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. His death in a 2011 US drone strike was shrouded in uncertainty for over a year.
On the Indian side, R Madhavan plays Ajay Sanyal, a character unmistakably modelled on India's current and longest-serving National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. Madhavan revealed he even altered his appearance for a closer resemblance. Doval's legendary career includes infiltrating groups during Operation Bluestar, helping resolve hijackings like IC-814, and serving as the chief of the Intelligence Bureau.
Dhurandhar, set for release on December 5, 2025, also stars Sara Arjun in a pivotal role. The film promises a high-octane dramatisation of covert ops and underworld warfare, moving beyond initial assumptions to tell a different, complex story rooted in real events across the border.
